Optimisation Of Selective Enrichment For The Simultaneous Isolation Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus And Vibrio Cholerae In Frozen Raw Seafood Products

As consumption of imported seafood products increases, makes the monitoring of those foods more essential. We sought to optimise selective enrichment before isolation and identification for the simultaneous detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae in frozen seafood products. Ten detection protocols were compared in two laboratories using 59 natural (unspiked) samples from various geographic areas. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify the species and search for pathogenicity factors. In all, 37 samples were positive for one or both of these vibrio species. No isolate was potentially pathogenic. Data analysis underscored the importance of enrichment, notably its duration. The method proposed is suitable for the simultaneous detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio cholerae in frozen seafood products. The use of a single detection protocol is a real advantage in routine analyses in microbiology laboratories. Until developments in molecular biology yield rapid and specific methods of identification and quantification, the routine method proposed should improve isolation of the main potentially pathogenic vibrios in frozen seafood products.